If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my buyers list to get wholesale deals and investing tips. Click the button to the right. Thanks for visiting!
Baltimore is a city of neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods have colorful names that hint at the history of the neighborhood, Greektown, Butchers Hill, Brewers Hill etc. Live Baltimore has a page describing Baltimore Neighborhoods
But do you really know the true borders of those neighborhoods? There are official names for every part of the city. Often investors say a property is in a particular neighborhood that it doesn’t really belong to. A common example would be properties that often advertised as being in Belair Edison when they are really part of Four by Four. Four by Four is close but with distinctly lower property values.
One often hears the question “Where should I invest?” If I mentioned Evergreen Lawn or Northwest Community Action. Would you know where meant? I wouldn’t have until I just looked at my map. By the way Northwest Community Action is NOT in the northwest part of the city. Leave a comment if you know where it is.
Full Color Baltimore Neighborhood Map
The city produces some wonderful maps that are helpful to Baltimore real estate investors. The city map office is at 417 E Fayette St. (The same building where construction permits are issued.) They offer many different maps and I have three posted in my office. The one pictured above with the city neighborhoods is available in black and white or full color. As I recall the color version $54 several years ago. The black and white versions was substantially less.
Baltimore Zip Code Map and Color Street map
I have the zip code map right behind my desk. When a deal comes through and I want a quick check where it is located, I just turn around and check the zip code. The other map in the corner is a color street map which at the time was only $5. A serious investor should have these maps but if you are new you can go to Baltimore City’s Neighborhood page.
I was expecting it to be another piece bashing investors and tax lien buyers. It was actually more about the size of the tax sale list in yesterdays Baltimore Sun paper and the incompetence of the city. It shows investor Jason Calimer helping the city by renovating properties that he got through tax sale in a distressed area.
Real estate investors, landlords, tax sale investors, ground rent owners etc. are often portrayed as bad guys. It’s nice to see a piece that presents us in a good light.
Today’s Baltimore Sun had the tax sale list of properties that are delinquent on property taxes and municipal bills. There are approximately 28,000 (!) on the list. This is the largest I have seen and an indication of the effect that the economy is having.
Are you on the list? You better pay up by Friday April 30 or your property will be going into the 2010 Tax Sale
Marylanders can be proud that we introduced a ground breaking lead paint law in the 1990’s. This was politics at it’s best creating a law that was a win – win for both tenants and landlords. If landlords registered their properties and took steps to prevent lead paint hazards they would be protected from lawsuits. Landlords got protection from outrageous lawsuits, tenants got safer properties and the slum lords and bad players who did not comply would still be subject to million dollar law suits.
The best part about this law is it worked. Lead poisoning dropped dramatically – by 95%. The process required by the law must be working because today most lead poisoning comes from either; owner occupied homes (the law only applies to rental properties), or homes owned by landlords NOT compiling with the law.
Landlords – Always the Scapegoat
Yet because landlords are viewed as the bad guys, someone has decided we need tougher laws. The current law requires landlords of properties built pre 1950 to do either a lead dust test OR a 10 step cleaning and inspection process. The new requirement would be that landlords need to do both. The fiscal note attached to the Senate bill says the cost to landlords (and ultimately tenants) will be $30 Million+ per year. That’s pretty expensive for something that doesn’t address the real problem.
Who does this bill serve?
Do you think tenants will want the higher rents this will bring? Will tenants think it is a fair trade, higher rents for redundant testing? How will tenants feel when they find out they are paying higher rents because of lead poising in owner occupied homes.
When In Doubt Pass a New Law
Why do politicians always think the answer is a new law? If the problem is people aren’t obeying the existing law the answer is not to make a new law. If people are driving 90 miles an hour on the Beltway and causing horrific accidents the answer is not making the speed limit 35mph. That only penalizes law abiding citizens.
Oppose MD Senate Bill 504
The vote on this punitive bill will take place soon in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee (JPR). Let your Senator know that you expect a higher standard. Let them know you want laws that address the real problem, not laws that sound good. Lead poisoning is too important an issue to deal with it via a feel good law. Here’s a website that makes it easy to find your representatives. Type in your address and your representatives come up on the left. You are looking for the state senator. Here is the Maryland General Assembly webpage. You can find and track proposed laws on that site. You get bonus points for contacting the members of the Judiciary Procedures Committee which is hearing this bill.
I recently wrote about the SAFE Mortgage Licensing Act. Here is some of the actual wording from the proposed regulations regarding the SAFE Act.
As noted earlier, the SAFE Act encourages CSBS and AARMR to establish and maintain the NMLSR, and these organizations have development of the NMLSR under way. In addition to developing the NMLSR, CSBS and AARMR developed model legislation to aid and facilitate States’ compliance with the requirements of the SAFE Act.
I think that pretty much meets the definition of Gobbledygook.
HUD has proposed new mortgage licensing regulations that would affect how investors do owner financing. Unless you are selling your own personal residence you would have to be a licensed mortgage loan originator in order to offer owner financing. I felt this is an unreasonable and unnecessary requirement and submitted a comment saying so (See below).
Now becoming a licensed loan originator is no difficult task; it would be on the scale of effort time and cost to become a real estate agent. However if you just want to sell one or two properties that is a lot of work and expense for no gain to either you or the buyer. This is regulation for the sake of regulation.
This could potentially affect anyone doing rent to own, land contracts, lease options, wraps, owner financing “Lonnie” mobile home deals, and perhaps others I haven’t thought of. I wonder how many small property owners will be breaking the law simply because they won’t know about this new regulation. At a time when we need creative ideas to get the real estate market moving a gain they want to add regulations to impede it from getting back on track.
I am a small business owner focused on real estate. I, like tens of thousands of other small business people around the country, renovate distressed property. We then sell these beautiful homes to deserving homeowners. In any market, but particularly in this difficult market, the ability to offer owner financing is a benefit to both the seller and the buyer.
The proposed regulations would now require me to become a licensed loan originator in the event that my company decides to offer owner financing on home. I do approximately 5 -15 transactions a year. While large companies will simply chalk it up to the “cost of doing business,” small companies like mine will simply not offer financing – a detriment to buyers – the very people who these regulations are designed to help.
I request that the language under 3400.103 (e) (5) be replaced with: “Any company or individual who only offers or negotiates terms of a residential mortgage loan secured by a dwelling that is owned in it’s entirety by that company or individual. This exemption applies to up to 10 transactions in a given calendar year.”
Reasons for this exemption – why regulation is unnecessary for owner financed deals..
1) Owners are not “brokering” any one else’ money. Why should they comply with “brokers” rules?
2) In most mortgage lending, the loan originator is a middleman whose interests are not aligned with either the borrower or the lender. The loan originator is compensated by the number and size of the deals not the quality. He or she actually has an incentive to make unsound mortgages happen. HOWEVER: When an owner sells a property with owner financing they are loaning their own money. They have a selfish best interest in seeing that the loan is appropriate and can be afforded by the buyer.
3) Technically an owner is not even loaning money. They are simply accepting payments over time. Again the owner’s selfish best interest is to see that the mortgage is affordable to the buyer. This easily meets the requirement set out in the preamble; Supplementary Information: 1. Background “. . . residential loan originators would, to the greatest extent possible, be required to act in the best interests of the consumer.”
4) Consumers are protected because owners must still comply with other regulations regarding residential loans. These regulations apply whether the owner would be required to be licensed or not.
5) Many of our financial problems today stem from loans made by licensed loan originators. Regarding owner financing, you want to solve a problem that doesn’t exist by requiring a license that did nothing to stop the problems we have now.
6) Most importantly, who is being served here? Most small property owners, landlords, renovators, absentee owners, will simply not go to the trouble to get licensed. These are the very owners most likely to do owner financing! By instituting this requirement for owner financing you will be taking a legitimate option out of the marketplace for consumers.
Fortunately there are proposed regulations and not final. The comment period is over but many investors posted comments. I will post an update when and if I hear something further.
The Daily Record is reporting that Harvey Nusbaum will plead Guilty to tax lien auction bid rigging on February 12, 2010. His partner Jack Stollof pleaded guilty in January and will be sentenced March 25. Steven Berman pleaded guilty in 2008 and paid a $750,000 fine in the same investigation.
Wednesday March 17, 2010: Listing of 2010 tax sale properties will be published in the Baltimore Sun. This listing will be updated approximately weekly at BidBaltimore.com
Wednesday March 17, 2010: Bidder registration begins at BidBaltimore.com. The cost to register is $100.00
Friday April 30, 2010: Last day for payments to avoid being in 2010 tax lien sale.
Monday May 10, 2010: Last day to register for tax lien auction.
Friday May 14, 2010: Final update of property listings
Friday May 14, 2010: Bid Submission begins
Monday May 17, 2010: Auction date
Good luck and watch my site for more tax lien information.
Back in July of 2008, I reported that Steve Berman had pleaded guilty to price fixing at Maryland tax lien auctions. Others were implicated at the time. Many of us active in local tax lien sales have been waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Jack Stollof has pleaded guilty to fixing bids at Maryland tax sales. His partner Havey Nusbaum is scheduled to go to trial in March. Nusbaum and Stollof were indicted in June of last year.
Jack Stollof’s plea comes after the Judge in the case threw out their defense that they had formed a “Joint Venture” and told that to the bank that was financing them. He is expect ed to be sentenced after Harvey Nusbaum’s trial. They could both receive up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to 1 million dollars.
I am already getting a lot of hits to my site for people searching for information on the 2010 MD tax sales. To get more information about tax sales and how to participate, see my past posts on tax sale investing. More on tax sales here.
Watch my site for updates. I’ll let you know as soon as I do of important dates for this years tax sales.
A 1099 is an informational return required by the IRS. Employees receive a W-2 to let them know how much income was rep0rted to the IRS. You may also get a 1099 INT from your bank telling you how much interest you received in the prior year. In a similar way businesses are required to report how much they pay other business and independent contractors.
Some small businesses are not even aware they are required to supply 1099s. A typical real estate investor may need to send them to their attorney, contractors, assistants, and Bird dogs they have paid. I am sure many investors never considered this requirement and were unaware they were risking IRS fines and penalties.
Who Gets a 1099?
You are required to give a 1099 to any Payee to whom you pay at least $600 or more in the year. This quote is directly from the 1099-MISC instructions
“At least $600 in rents, services (including parts and materials), prizes and awards, other income payments, . . . or Gross proceeds to an attorney.”
The key words there are “other income payments”. If the income is taxable to the payee, you should send them a 1099.
There are some exceptions to the requirement.
Trade or business reporting only. Report on Form 1099-MISC only when payments are made in the course of your trade or business. Personal payments are not reportable. This does not mean you can skip this just because you didn’t make any money, or do business in your own name. If you intend to make a profit, you need to send them out.
Generally payments made to a Corporation are not reportable. Keep in mind the IRS instructions specifically say a Corporation, not an LLC or other business entity. Also you must report amounts paid to an attorney even if they are incorporated – I guess the IRS doesn’t trust attorneys either!
Payments for merchandise, telegrams, telephone, freight, storage, and similar items are not reportable. So if you buy plumbing supplies from the local hardware store you do not need to report that.
Extended Due Date for 1099 Forms
The due date for 1099 forms is Jan. 31st 2010, however since Jan 31, is a Sunday you have an extra day this year. Form 1099s are due to the recipient by Feb. 1, 2010. Reporting to the IRS is due by Feb. 28, 2010. However the due date for reporting to attorneys (box 14 10099-misc) or “Proceeds from real estate transactions” form 1099-s is Feb 16.
I found this video from the Secret on a blog I read, I’m Just Sharing. It’s not about real estate but Mitch the author does have articles about business and marketing. The video was so inspiring to me I had to share it here.
I am working on a vision for my life and honestly I am a little stuck. I found some of the phrases in the video really hit home and I quickly added them to my vision. One that really says what I want my life to be is “I live with Passion and Purpose. ”
Let me know what you think, leave a comment. If you really like it tweet it, stumble it or otherwise spread the word.
Many years ago I made a commitment to myself to donate more money to charity than the previous year. While it is still a modest amount of money I have kept that commitment every year and I will do it again this year.
One charity I have donated to consistently to is So Others May Eat (SOME). I like SOME because their mission is not simply to feed people, it is to help them grow.
We help break the cycle of homelessness by offering services, such as affordable housing, job training, addiction treatment, and counseling, to the poor, the elderly and individuals with mental illness. – From SOME’s mission statement
You know the saying, “teach a person to fish and they eat for a lifetime.” I am against handing people fish, teach them to fish and that is something I can really support.
Help Me Pick a Charity
This year I have decided to add a new charity to my list. You, my readers, get to help me decide. Let me know about your favorite charity. Tell me how it is both for a good cause and how they are effective at serving that cause.
So here are the rules. Simply leave a comment with the reason you think I should donate to your favorite charity. The charity that receives the most compelling reason as to why they are the best will get a donation this year.
Scroll down to leave a comment. If you don’t see the comment box click here and scroll down.
PS: Help a charity out and Tweet, Stumble, DIGG, or otherwise promote this post.
It is a sad day. Jim Rohn, one of the foremost motivational speakers died today Dec 5, 2009. Almost every well know speaker in the success field today will admit to being influenced by Jim. One of todays best know speakers, Tony Robbins, reportedly got his start in the motivational field working for Mr. Rohn.
Jim Rohn Quotes
Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from him. Jim, was a big proponent of reading for personal growth.
“Poor people have big screen TVs. Rich people have big libraries.”
“Don’t just read the easy stuff. You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.”
“Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals.”
“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better; Don’t wish for less problems wish for more skills”
“If you work hard on your job you can make a living. If you work hard on yourself you can make a fortune”
If you are not familiar with him I suggest you get some of his materials and learn for yourself why he was so influential in the self development field. Here is a tribute from the Jim Rohn Website.
Get FREE investing tips and bargain wholesale properties via e-mail.
